Touchstone to Determine the True Catholic Faith, Part 23
Of Marriage and single life.
THe single life also, in the beginning was not inioyned ministers. For S. Paul saith, Heb. 13 4.marriage is honourable amongst all men: as in the law, so in the gospell; euen amongst priests and ministers. And he makes it a marke or token of chusing a bishoppe: If he hauehave gouerned his owne house well.1. Ti. 3.4. 1. Cor. 7.25. And in another place hee saieth: Of virgines I hauehave no commandement of the Lord; no nor of virginitie; no not to priestes, and ministers: but he leaueth that free, but he wisheth that all were as himselfe. And of ministers and priestes, and of the chastitie that manie of them vsed in the primitiue church, Eusebius writes thus: Euseb. de demonst. euang. lib. 1. ca. 89.There is one …ide of life (saith he) exceeding the common course of the life of man, not caring for wife and children, or riches, and wholy addicted to the seruice of God, for the louelove of heauenly thinges: and these execute the priestes office. And after speaking of the priestes, he saith: It becommeth them, which hauehave consecrated themselues to Gods seruice, to abstaine from the society of a wife. Here is chastitie, for the louelove of heauen, according to our sauiours saying: Mat. 19.12.He that can take it, let him take it. Here is a decencie; not a necessitie: Here is a zeale, not a vowe. And these were the causes that made so manie liue in chastitie in those daies. And of this voluntarie chastitie and liuing solitarie, thus wee reade of Augustine himselfe: Possidanius in vita Aug.being nowe baptized of Ambrose, and being turned to God, from the inward bowels of his heart, he forsooke all the hope he had in the world; seeking not nowe a wife, nor sonnes, after the flesh, nor riches not honours of this world; but he determined to serue God, with all his; studying to bee in that, and of that little flocke, whome the Lord speakes vntounto saying, Feare not little flocke, it hath pleased your father to giuegive you a kingdome. Sell that you hauehave, and giuegive almes, and make you bagges, that shall neuer waxe olde, and treasure neuer sayling in heauen, &c. And after: And then, being aboue thirty yeares olde, his mother being aliue onelyonly, called Monica, and liuing with him; reioyced more of his purpose taken vponupon him of seruing God, then of children after the flesh. Here we maie sée a holy purpose, of not marrying, of seruing God, of forsaking the worlde: not anie vowe. Following herein the steppes of saint Paul, who thus writes to Timothy:2. Tim. 3. v. 10. Thou hast fully knowen my doctrine, maner of liuing, purpose, faith, long suffering, louelove, patience, &c. Here is the Anatomie of S. Paules whole life, put downe (as may séeme:) But here is no vowe at all mentioned, but a purpose of conteinning the riches, pleasures, & vanities of the world; which purpose S. Augustine here followed. And of this purpose of single life, S. Paul also writeth, concerning parents in marrying their da…ghters: 1. Cor. 7.37.He that (saith he) hath determined in his heart, ha…ng no necessity: but hath power ouer his owne will, and hath decreed this … his heart, that he will keepe his virgine: and not giuegive her to marriage, doth well. Here the father, knowing his daughters strength, may fully purpose in his mind, not to giuegive his daughter in marriage, but to keepe her a virgine: here is no vowe, but a purpose of the father. So may, no doubt, euerie man, weying his own strength, purpose in his heart to liue vnmarried, if he will, without anie vowe. And of this holie purpose we read after in Possidonius, of S. Augustines kinsfolkes, who were no priestes, thus: Neither dealt he with his kinsfolkes, either placed in this purpose, or without it, in his life time, after the manner of the common people. To whome whilest he was aliue, he bestowed that in almes (if neede were) which he bestowed on others, but not to make them rich, but that they should either not want, or lesse want. He did not enrich his kinsfolkes, neither in his life, nor at his death: but if they stood in need, he reléeued them, that they should lesse néede. And some of these also were in this holie purpose, as should séeme, voluntarilie following his counsell and steppes, and some were not. And S. Augustine himselfe, counting it a degrée of perfection in Christianitie, not to seeke after the riches of the worlde, thus writes of this his purpose: Epist. 89.I which writ these thinges, hauehave loued that perfection, of the which the Lord spake to the young man; Go and sell all that thou hast. And I hauehave not done this by my owne strength: but by his grace. And how farre I hauehave gone forward, in the way of this perfection, I know more my selfe, then any other: but God more then I. And to this purpose, with all my might, I exhort others; and in the name of the Lord, I hauehave companions, to whom this is persuaded by my ministery: so that especially▪ wholsome doctrine may bee kept; neither that we should iudge those with vaine contumacie, which do not these thinges. This was a voluntarie purpose of Augustine, and no vow. Arnobius of this purpose also writes thus: In psal. 113.The humble stand also in the purpose of holinesse; who that they may please the Lorde in the lande of the liuing, they perseuere, standing in the land of the dying. In Psal. 113. and in Psalm. 118. The iust Lord much safeth not, forced sacrifices. Of single life, Epiphanius thus writes against Montanus, We lay the necessitie thereof on no man:Haeres. 46. l…t with good counsell, we admonish, exhorting him which is able. Neither doe we lay a necessity vponupon him, that is not able, neither doe we reiect such a one, from life. For the holy word hath taught all, that we should beare the infirmities of the weake.
Of king Ethelbert, we reade thus in Beda:Beda eccl. Hist. lib. 1. ca. 5. There began many daily to flow together, to heare the word of God, and forsaking gen…me, by beleeuing, to associate themselues to the church of Christ: … whose faith and conuersion, the king is said to hauehave reioyced. And although he compelled none to Christianity; yet for all that, they that beleeued, now he embraced with more entire delight, as fellow citizens of the kingdome of heauen. For he had learned, of the doctors and authors of his saluation, that the seruice of Christ ought to be voluntary, and not by compulsion. Although marriage in the beginning was thus left frée: yet by little and little, single life crept into the church. Thus we reade in an Epistle, Euseb lib. 4. ca. 23.Dionysius Bishop of Christh wrote to Pintus a Bishoppe concerning this matter. He …eth him, & beseecheth him, that he would not put grieuous burthe…s on the disciples neckes, neither that he would enioine his brethren the necessity of forced chastity, by which, the infirmity of a great many should be in great danger. Here is plainlie Dionysius …inde, that this is a yoke, and that it is not to be put on the brethrens neckes, and that it is dangerous. So that then, this single life, this vowe of chastitie, which now all priests must take vponupon them, was not then in force. He being a Bishoppe knewe it not, Pintus answering him thus: That he would embrace the sentence of better counsell, and that he would send him letters hereafter, of stronger meat, not necessary for all, but fit for some, who can comprehend it. Thus by degrées this single life crept in, Dionysius is of one minde (as concerning it) and Pintus of another. In the councell of Nice also, they would hauehave decreed, that the priestes and deacons should not companie with their wiues, which they had married before consecration. But Paphnutius,Hist. Trip. lib. 2. cap. 13. who was vn…nted himselfe (through deuotion, not for anie vowe, no doubt, as were those former Monks;) yet he defendeth mariage. Sathan by him repelled at yt time: yet no doubt after attempted the matter againe, and preuailed. He was busie to bring the ma…ter to passe, as we may read in histories.
Contra. Iou. lib. 1. cap. 13.Ierom saieth, as though at this day also, many priestes hauehave not wiues. In Ieromes daies, as maie séeme, who extolled virginitie wonderfullie: yet the matter had not gone so farre, as to banish priests in all places from their wiues. Ignatius of the mariage of ministers writes thus: Epist. 6. ad. Philadelph.I find not fault with other saints, which were coupled in mariage, whom I hauehave now made mention of. For wish my selfe worthy in the Lord, to bee founde at their feete in h… kingdome; as Abraham, Isaake, and Iacob; as Esay, and the other prophets; as Peter and Paul, and the other Apostles, who were m… ed, who had wiues, not for carnal pleasure: but for to raise vp ye posteritie. Marke here the mariages of the saintes, and also the ende … their mariages, euen to raise vp children to serue the Lord. And Chrysostome writes the like: De verb. Esaiae, vidi Dominum. Tom. 1. Hom. 4.Yea (saieth he,) had the prophet a sonne? then he had a wife: That thou maiest vnderstand, that mariage is not euill; but fornication. But manie times when wee reason with the people, saying, why liue you not well? why do you no… excellent good works? How can I, say they, vnlesse I should depart … my wife, vnlesse I should bid my children farewell, vnlesse I … not follow my busines. And why? doeth thy mariage binder th… Thy wife was giuen thee as a helper, and not as a hinderer. Had not the prophet a wife? Mariage hindered not the spirit of grace: but hee liued together with his wife, and yet neuerthelesse was a prophet. Had not Moses a wife? and yet he brake the rocke, and changed the aire, and talked with God, and restrained Gods anger. And what? was Peter that foundation of the church, that earnest louer of Christ, that vnlearned man in speech, and yet a conquerer of Rhetoricians, that simple soule, that stopped the mouthes of philosophers, who dispersed the wisdome of the Greekes like copwebbes, who went ouer the whole world, who*He alludeth to ye draught of their nettes: which Christ bad Peter make, and the rest. Ioh. 21. v. 6 cast his net into the sea, & caught ye whole world what saith the gospell? Iesus went in into Peters mother in lawe, who was sicke of a feuer: Where was a mother in lawe, there was a wife, there was a mariage. What also, had not Philip foure daughters (as we read in the Acts) where were foure daughters, there was a wife, there was mariage. What name I these Christ was borne of a virg… but he came to a mariage, and brought a gift with him, &c. H…e we may note, that Chrysostome affirmes, that mariage hindereth not the spirit of prophesie. One maie be maried, and be a prophet, maie talke with God, euen as Moses did; that mariage hinders not godlinesse or virtuous liuing: and that, in the Apostolique Church many were maried. And in another place he writes thus. I will therefore shew to you, that neither riches hinder, nor pouertie,Contra gentiles Iudaeoses haeres. nor warfare, nor traffique, nor mariage, nor children, nor seruaunts, nor workemen, nor anie such like. Christ was bidden to a mariage,Sermone de Euangelio isto, Nuptiae factae sunt. Tomo. 3. came he or came he not? It is certaine that he came. If hee came, therefore mariage is not euill. Thou canst not excuse. I saie also, that not onelie he came, but that he brought a gift with him: He turned water into wine. Do not excuse thy selfe by reason of mariage; the Lord was present at a mariage, and honored mariage: and doest thou find fault with it? & doest saie it is a hinderance to godlines? wilt thou know that it hindereth not, to hauehave wife and children? Had not Moses wife and children? This thy excusation, this pretence is a snare of the diuell.
Chrysostom also writes thus vponupon those wordes (If anie man be blamelesse:) He intendes plainely to stop the mouthes of heretiques,In Epist. ad Tit. Hom. 2. which condemne mariage, shewing that it is a thing not worthy to be blamed; yea that it is so pretious, that with it also,In Epist. ad Tim. Hom. 10. one maie be aduanced to the throne of a Bishop. And againe to Timothie hee saieth not this, as establishing a lawe, that a Bishop could not be without a wife: but he appointes a meane thereof, because the Iewes might marrie againe the second time, and hauehave manie wiues at once. And Augustine writes thus: And that in this place,Quaest. 127. veteriset noui testam. wee may saie something of the Apostles, which concernes the force of the matter, surelie S. Iohn was a keeper of chastitie; but his fellow disciple S. Peter, is knowne to hauehave had a wife, and the begetting of sons hindered not the merit in the*Primatū huius inter apostolos. first place of this Apostle. He sheweth that one that is married, if in other thinges he kéepe the commandementes, he ought and may be made a priest. Euseb. Eccl. hist. lib. 3. cap. 30. Epipha. haer. 30. reports that Peter had a wife and children.Eusebius also out of Clemens cites, that Peter and Philip had wiues, and gaue their daughters also in a mariage: yea and Paul thought not much in one of his Epistles, to make mention, or a saluation of his yoke fellow which he therefore affirmeth he carried not about with him, that he might be more readie to preach the gospell. And because (saith Eusebius) I hauehave here made mētion of Clemens: it shal not be amisse to bring forth another excellēt sentence of his, which in his seauenth book he hath set down. They say (saith he) that Peter when as he sawe his wife lead to suffer martyrdome, did reioice, because of her election,bAc regressi…nis ad propriam domum. and of her returning to her owne house, (meaning heauen as I suppose) and to hauehave cried vntounto her as she was lead, and calling her by her name, to hauehave said vntounto her: O wife remember the Lord. Such were the mariages of the saintes, such was the perfect louelove of the blessed. By this historie also we maie plainlie sée, that the Apostles did not cast away the care of their wiues & children, though they were Apostles; but that they gaue their daughters to mariage: And that Paul also was maried; wherein Clemens agreeth with Ignatius; & that Eusebius calleth this a saying worthie of all memorie, that Peter spake to his wife. Here is also the cause put downe why they did not carrie them about with them: that they might bee more ready to preach the gospell. The same reason we may read in Martials Epistle, Epist. 2. ad Tolosanos.A noble man was conuerted to the faith by Martials preaching, and for the sweetnesse of the reward to come, heaDeuitauerat. refused the knot of carnall mariage, that he might serue God more freely. Neither do wee therefore forbid mariage (saieth Martiall) when as this mariage is honest, and lawfull, and graunted of God, from the beginning of the world, for the multiplication of mankind. Insomuch also my master and Lord Iesus Christ allowed the lawfull and chast bed of wedlocke, to those that will marrie in the holinesse and honor of chastifie, that being bidden to certaine mariages, hee sanctified them, with the presence of his maiestie, and made them glad or mery, with a most wondrous and strange miracle, &c. But after, speaking of widowhood and virginitie, hee addes this: But beyonde these degrees, lawfully granted to man, he both placed widowhood, in a greater reward, and he hath shewed the third excellent steppe of virginity, being perfect, and like to the worthinesse of Angels, to the which the Lord hath inuited vsus, saying, All men are not able to comprehend this word; but he that can comprehend it, let him comprehend it. As in pretious stones, there are degrees of excellencies; yea and almost in all thinges, so in vertues; so in states of life: But our sauiour bindes none to anie. He sets virginitie in the highest place, as a price, and saith, that he that can get it, let him get it. And to get this price or best game manie of the ministers stroue for, in the primitiue Church, as Prudentius notes in his verses, verie finelis.
DIxerat haec: & laet a libidinis interfectae
Morte pudicitia,Prudentius in psicho machia. gladium Iordanis in vndis
Abluit infectum, sanies cuirore rubenti
Haeserat, & nitidum maculârat vulnere ferrum.
Expiat ergo aciem, fluuiali docta lauacro
Ʋictricem victrix, abolens baptismate labem
Hostilis iuguli, nec iam contenta piatum
Condere vagina gladium; ne sorde latenti
Occupet ablutum rubigo scabra nitorem;
Catholico in templo, diuini fontis ad aram
Consecrat, aeterna splendens vbi luce coruscet.
The same in English.
THus of her speech she made an ende,
reioycing at the heart,
That cruell death inflaming lust
had wounded with her dart.
Her sword bedewed with matter vile,
and sprinckled all with bloud:
With cristall water she doth wash,
and cleanse in Iordanes floud.
Thus she her conquering sword doth purge
in water bright and cleare:
Washing the spottes in baptisme,
which on her sprinckled were.
But yet her minde is not content,
her sworde in sheath to hide:
Though bloud not any other spot,
vponupon it can be spide.
But least that it should afterwardes
take rust, as swordes are woont:
She consecrates it to the church,
and hanges it by the foont.
Where it may shine for euermore,
like morning starre so bright:
And where it may be kept as cleare,
as Phoebus in his might.
Here we maie note out of these verses, that chastifie w…sheth her sword, wherewith she hath killed lust, in the waters of Iordaine, that is, in the waters of baptisme: because all virgines stande in néede of the grace of God, Rom 3 v. 19. & 11. v. 32.and God hath stopped the mouthes of all, euen of virgines, that hee may hauehave merciemercy of all. Then, that she placeth this her sword, in the church of Christ, neare vntounto the Altar; she puts it not vp into the sheathe, least it should rust: and there it shineth gloriouslie, because of all other sortes of men, the ministers of God especiallie, should vse it, in subduing lust & carnall concupiscence. This séemeth to be Prudentius … ning. And to Prudentius in some respect concerning virgins imperfections, Iust. Apol. 2.agreeth Iustine the Martyr, who writes thus: As in mans lawes (saith he) he that contractes a double marriage is guilty so by our masters doctrine, they, which looke after a woman to desire her, are sinners. And Augustine also affirmeth, that there is no man whom the lawe of concupiscence makes not guilty.
Euseb. lib. 8. eccl. Hist. ca. 10.But to returne againe to the marriage of ministers: Eusebius writes thus of a Bishoppe and Martyr, called Phileas, that was married: This troupe of souldiers (saieth he) a famous captaine did leade: this flocke, a notable sheepheard adorned, by name Phileas: who was Bishop of a citie called Thmuis, &c. And when as he had many noble men his kinsfolke and cousines in that citie, he was often brought before the gouernour, and that he would yeelde to his admonitions, hauing so many and great kinsfolkes intreating for him: he was persuaded that he would hauehave respect of his wife, and to take consideration of his children, and not to persist in his former obstinacy: but hee, as though water should slide ouer an vnmoueable stone, did refuse their bablings, did lift vp his minde to heauen, had God in his eies, accounted the holy martyres and Apostles his kinsfolkes, &c. By this historie it is euident, that bishops were maried, and that their mariages were not then infamous; séeing they had honorable kinsfolkes. That age, as should seeme, giuing honour to ministers and to their children, as king Salomon did in the olde lawe to the priestes and vntounto their children, of whome in some translations we reade thus: And Azariah the sonne of Nathan, was ouer the officers, and Zabud the sonne of Nathan a priest, was the kings friend. No doubt he was of great account with king Salomon, that was worthie to be called his friend. Of Constantine also we read thus: He had ye ministers of God, being sent for, in great honour euer. And he shewed all curtesie to them: men simple both in countenance and in apparell; yet for another consideration they were his companions; not as his seruants. Whither soeuer he went, he caused them to go with him, supposing that hee then was at his right hand, whome they serued: Euseb. de vita Const. lib. 1.Contra. Iov. Lib. 1. ca. 13. The priestes among the Grecians, hauehave euer had their wiues. The Pope himselfe confesseth in his aLi. 3 Decret. de cl…r. &c. coniugatis. Tit. 3. c. 6.decretals, That the east church neuer admitted the vowe of chastitie: and that in inferiour orders, they may marry; and in the higher orders, that they may continue in the mariage, which was already made. And the Glosse saith, that in the west church also, some thinke that the priestes are not bound to single life by their vow: but by the institution or ordinance of the church. So that this single life of the ministers, was not anie apostolical or generall decree, which the Gréeke church neuer heard of, in the beginning of the faith, as should séeme; nor euer receiued. Neither was it a diuine ordinance: but a humane constitution, ordained by the Church. In Ethiopia in the countrie of Preterianes who is a christian, the priests hauehave wiues at this daie also, Lib. 18. Hist.as Paulus Iouius reporteth, although they maie not marrie the seconde time. But Matheus Dresserus, writing of the church of Ethiopia,Dresserus Epist. in orbis descriptione à Neandr… aedita. saieth thus: Marriage is no lesse lawfull to the cleargie and priestes, then to their other citizens: yet so, as the first wife being dead, it is not lawfull to marry another, without the Patriarkes dispensation. So that if he do dispense with them, they maie marrie the second time also. In England when the faith was here first planted, the priestes and cleargie men had wiues, Lib. 6. Angelicae, Histor.as appeareth by Polidor Virgil, who writes thus of Edgar. He chose to be of his counsell learned, holy and godly men, and he made such Bishoppes ouer Christes people. Amongst whom he loued especially (next after Dunstan) Ethelwood & Oswald. The king gaue so much credit to the learning & holines of these three, wherof they made great shewes (as monks know how to do such a like thing very cunninglie sometime) that partly, he being moued with their request, and partly being moued, because he sawe that the chiefe priestes kept their wiues, contrary to that, the fathers had a little before decreed: that hee intreated with many requests, Iohn the fifteene Bishop of Rome, that for good causes, which the Monkes had found out would be for their commodity, that he would grant, that it might be lawfull for them, by his authoritie: to expell out of the Colledges of Worcester and Winchester, those priests, which they called secular Canons, and to bring to their places his Monkes, which he obtained. Here we maie plainlie sée, that the priestes here in England had wiues, and that they had Colledges at Worcester, and at Winchester. And that by a decrée of the church a little before, it was decreed, that they shoulde hauehave no wiues. But the ende of this historie, makes the matter more plaine: The priestes, being thus expelled by the Monkes, determined to pleade their cause, why they should bee expelled. The matter is brought before the iudges, who when they heard the matter at Winchester, in a parlour of the Monkes, in a great assembly; and that the greater part had decreed, that the priestes were to be restored to their former honours againe: Beholde sodainly this voice was heard: (They thinke not well which fauour the priests:) as though the lawe made more for the Monkes, which had violently taken away other mens goods, then for the priests, which demanded their owne. But because the Image of Christ, which stood before them, seemed to giuegive the voice, they all gaue credit to the Oracle: so that the priests were ouercome, and the tumult was ceased. And so the Monkes, by Gods helpe or by mans rather (for euen then there were some, that thought it was the Oracle of Sathan rather then of God; and that it was vttered by mans pollicy, and not by Gods power) kept as wel as might be, the thinges they had gotten. So by this forged Oracle, the priestes in England lost both their goods and their wiues. In Ireland also the Bishops and priests had wiues, in the beginning of the church. For thus we reade of Celsus Armachanus an Archbishop of Ireland: And Celsus had wife and children, euen being a Bishop, as it was the custome among the Irish men, till that age. For they had beene Bishops by succession of inheritance fifteene generations, with spirituall supremacie of that countrey, and eight of them had beene very well learned. Neither suffered they any to be Bishops in their Diocesse, but of that family and kindred. This affirmeth, besides S. Barnard in the life of Malachias; Vincentius, Antoni…us, and Petrus de Venetiis. Although mariage in the beginning was thus lest frée in all countries: yet by little and little we may sée, howe this single life crept into the church. Of the priestes also in Germanie, Lib. 5. pag. 574.Auentinus writes thus: About the yeare of our Lorde 1071. the priestes of Germanie in that age had wiues, like other christians, and begat children: as in the deedes of the giftes of landes which they made to churches, religious men and Monkes; I finde where they, with their husbandes are put as witnesses, and are called by a commendable name, presbyteresses. In the councell Ga…grenfis it was decreed thus: Ca. 4.He that shall make a difference of a priest that hath a wife, that he ought not when he ministreth, be partaker of the oblation: let him be accursed. Some thought (as it should séeme) that the sacraments ministred by them, who were maried, were not so holie, as they were, which were ministred by them who were vnmaried: whom this councell condemneth. By little and little, thus mariage was st…ll shotte at: and at length, quite banished from the ministers of the west church. Concerning which, In Instit. Catholica de Antichristo.Lorichius a learned papist, writeth thus: We confesse that it was an error, that lawfull wiues were forbidden to the Cleargie, and that they hauehave made the degree of spiritual affinity, an impediment of mariage. But these errors may be excused (saith he,) because they, who made these lawes, were deceiued by the shewe of vertue. He doeth confesse that it is an error: belike he had tried that, Eras. in resp. ad natalem Bedam. Pa. 58.which Erasmus writeth: The world (saith Eraimus) is full of priestes, which keepe Concubines. There is a Bishop in Germanie, who tolde at a feast, that in one yere there were presented to him eleuen thousand priests, which only kept Concubines. For such, eueryevery yeare, pay some thing to the Bishop. Oh horrible report! This monster, their single life, by little & little springing in the church, hath brought forth. Were it not better that these might hauehave had wiues? But it shoulde séeme, the Popes and Bishoppes couetousnesse would not permitte it.
There is nothing at this day, causeth the mariages of ministers to be so found fault withall, as the excesse of manie of their wiues. And here I coulde wish that all the ministers of God woulde marke what our sauiour saieth concerning ministers. Mat. 5. v. 13.They are the salt of the earth: If the salt hauehave lost his sauour, wherewith shal it be seasoned? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and trodden vnderunder foote of men. A fearefull sentence. And whereas they are salt, they must season their owne families first. And this no doubt respected S. Paul, whereas he puts downe this as a chiefe vertue in a minister. One that can rule his owne house wel,1. Ti. 3. v. 4. hauing his children vnderunder obedience, with all decencie or comelinesse. For if he cannot rule his owne house: how shall hee take care of the house of God? Where we may note, that it is the part of a minister, as well to gouerne in the church, as to teach. Wouldest thou (being a minister) not be despised then, or troden vnderunder foote of men? be salt in thine owne house first, and then after in the church of God: flatter no man in his sinnes. The lacke of this seasoning, makes manie ministers so contemptible in the world, as they are. They are the light of the world, Vers. 16.let them take héede what they doo; their doings are soone espied and quicklie practised. They are as a cittie builded on a hill,Vers. 14. which cannot be hid. All men marke what they doo, and are readie to carpe at it: therefore they must hauehave special care, what examples they giuegive. Our sauiour saieth, hee that shall offend one of the little ones,Mat. 18. v. 6. that beleeue in mee, it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were cast into the sea.Vers 7. And againe, Wo to the world because of offences. Offences bring all calamities, all miseries vponupon the world. It is not also without cause, that S. Paul so preciselie speakes of the manners of ministers wiues, by themselues, not comprehending them in the common doctrine of other women: 2 Tim. 3.11. foreign.whose first vertue, that he requires in them, is comelinesse, decencie, and sobernesse: which also he requireth in their children. And that the conuersation of women is no light matter to further or hinder the gospell, let vsus marke what S. Peter writeth: Let wiues bee subiect to their husbands,1 Pet. 3. v. 1. that euen they which obey not the word, may without the word, be won by the conuersation of the wiues. See how the Apostle séemes to giuegive more force to the good conuersation of women; then to the word of God. And if the conuersation of all wiues hauehave this force, to win to the faith: then especially, the conuersation of the ministers wiues. And as they may helpe to win to the faith, by their good conuersation: so if they hinder by their euill conuersation, let vsus marke what followeth. God saieth thus to Dauid, because thou hast caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme,1 Sam. 12. v. 14 the child shal surely dy. To giuegive cause to Gods enimies to blaspheme, and speake euill of his name and word, is a gréeuous sinne; it killed Dauids child: and euen so no doubt, it shall not spare our wiues and children, if through them, we giuegive any occasion for Gods enimies to blaspheme his name. 1. Sam. 2.The example of Elie plainelie proues the same. His children were sinners, and wicked: like the sons of Belial.Vers. 23. And he rebuked them with wordes: but like a tender harted father, he suffered them. And by their meanes, the sacrifice of the Lord was abhorted.Vers. 17. And therefore the Lord threatened Elie, that he would cut off his arme,Vers. 31. and the arme of his fathers house, and that he should see his enemies in the house of the Lord, that his sonnes Ophnie and Phinees should die both in one day:Vers. 36. And that hee that was left in his house should be glad to beg, euen for a piece of bread. And do we thinke, if we follow these steps, wee shall escape these plagues? Oh therefore let all Gods seruantes and ministers hauehave a speciall care of their wiues & families; that they may stop the monthes of the aduersaries: whose excesse is a great scandall, is an offence. Some of them are not humble, Luk. 1.48like Mary the mother of Christ: but proude like Mary Magdeline, who no doubt delighted in her haire,Luk 7.38 beauty and costly ointments before her conuersion; who being conuerted, now prostrated all at the feete of Iesus. They wil not take paines to visit and serue their inferiors, Luk. 1.40as Mary did, but neglect and despise them. Epist. ad Tit. cap. 3. vae. 5 Genes. 34.1. Exod. 4.26 1 Tim. 2.9.They are not housekéepers, as S. Paul commandes them: but like Dinah desire to sée & to be séene. They are not like Sarah obeying their husbands: but rather like Ziphorah, the wife of Moses, who contemned the doctrine of her husband: They are not arraied in comely apparell, with shamefastnesse, and modesty, (which they teach out of S. Paul) but with broidered haire, or gold, or pearles, or costly apparel, which attire becommeth not women which professe the feare of God. They forget that good lesson their husbandes teach out of Saint Peter, Whose apparelling let it not be outwarde, with broidered haire and gold put about, or in putting on of apparel: But let the hid man of the heart bee vncorrupt, with a meeke and quiet spirit, which is before God a thing much set by. Their apparell must bee costlie: Hest. 2. v. 13.15or else it wil not please them. They are not like Hester, that refused those odors and perfumes which the other maidens required: but rather like Iesabell, painting and starching their faces, and their ruffes, and trimming their heades. To conclude, they are not like the kinges daughter, who was all glorious within,Psal. 45.14. but like to those proude daughters of Ierusalem, of whom Esay speakes in his third chapter, with their lawnes, round tyres, and such like vanities, which as in all women: so especially in ministers wiues, Esa. 3.18threaten desolation and destruction to our countrey, death to our Valiantes,Vers. 25.26 as Esay there plainely witnesseth. And doe we not feare Gods worde? There shal not passe one lot, or tittle of it vnfulfilled. These womēs pride and vanitie brought ruine and desolation to Ierusalem: And shall England escape, vnlesse it repent?
Gregorie Nazianzen vponupon the funerals of his father, who was a Bishoppe, writes thus: It is hard to say (saith he) who was more happie in mariage then hee. For I thinke, if any man of the whole world would desire to hauehave a good wife, he could not finde a better and more conuenient, then hee had. For the excellencies of all vertues, of all men and women, in these two mette together: so that, that mariage was not so much a coupling together of bodies, as of vertues. For although they excelled others; yet betweene themselues, in the equality of their vertues, they could not one go beyonde another. Surely shee that was giuen to Adam, that shee might be a helper to him, seeing that it was not good that man should be alone, for an helper became an enemy, and was not a bedfellowe, but an aduersarie, stealing awaie her husband through pleasure, and through the signe of knowledge, banishing him from the tree of life: but to my father, she was not onelyonly giuen an helper (for that was lesse to be wondred at) but shee was a guide to him, which by her selfe did drawe him to euerie excellent verue, both by her wordes and workes. Bishoppes and ministers were maried in those daies, as plainelie appeareth by this narration. I would to God all Bishoppes and ministers wiues, were like this woman: it would cause their marriages not to bee so euill spoken of, and their children (for which nowe they are so carefull) without all doubt worke prosper a great deale the better: euen as Gregorie Nazianzenus did, who grewe to that excellencie, that for his knowledge he was called the Diuine.